Environmental state factors (climate, topography, parent material, biota and time) are the cornerstone for understanding Earth surface (Critical Zone) processes.  While they were introduced in 1941 as a theoretical framework for studying the formation of soils, they were also recognized by Jenny as controls on what he called the  â€œlarger system”, or the ecosystem. This session will focus on the use of state factors and results from these studies to understand processes within and across the Earth’s critical zone. It also is an opportunity to review, deeply, the conceptual implications of the model, and some of its untapped potential in modern earth system science. Submissions that address retrospective and future prospects regarding the use of state factors in the integration of Earth surface processes (such as landscape evolution, weathering, hydrology, geochemistry, and ecology) at multiple spatial and temporal scales and across anthropogenic gradients are encouraged.